NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates 
The Jets found their new offensive coordinator this week, hiring former Broncos head coach Nathaniel Hackett. The move reunites Hackett with coach Robert Saleh, more than a half-decade after the two worked together with the Jaguars. But what does the staffing change mean for the Jets moving forward? Easy: a splashy quarterback change.
A known proponent of the Bill Walsh West Coast Offense, Hackett isn’t entirely dissimilar to his Jets predecessor, Mike LaFleur, in terms of schematic approach. Both men have leaned on some of the same staples — namely quick, horizontal-based passing, and zone-based run blocking. And Hackett found noticeably less success in 2022 despite having a future Hall of Fame candidate under center. So why is he, and not LaFleur, in charge of New York’s offense going into 2023?
Again: QB.
However promising his ground game may have become, the fact is LaFleur spearheaded an offensive staff that bought into Zach Wilson — so much so that New York invested a No. 2 overall pick in the QB. LaFleur then spent two full seasons as Wilson’s chief mentor, only for the young gunslinger to register as one of the NFL’s least efficient signal-callers during that stretch. Wilson, of course, deserves some of the blame. But regardless of how much team brass trumpets the QB’s remaining upside, this offseason was always going to be a natural stepping-off point in terms of commitment to the once-hyped prospect.
Benched multiple times in 2022, with his backup eliciting locker-room celebration upon entry into the lineup, Wilson may have a future in New York. But he is decidedly not the present, at least until the Jets can explore any and all potential upgrades. There’s simply no other way to read the club’s billionaire owner, Woody Johnson, recently calling QB “the missing piece” and vowing to spend lucrative money for a proven star. Or Saleh explicitly saying Thursday that offensive coordinator…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/what-nathaniel-hacketts-hire-means-for-the-jets-aaron-rodgers-trade-is-the-next-logical-step/
Author : Cody Benjamin
Publish date : 2023-01-26 18:09:48
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
